71. But who can separate what is incapable of separation? Who can divide that association which Christ shows to be inseparable? Go, says He,
baptize all nations in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19 Has He changed either a word or a syllable here concerning the Father or the Son or the
Holy Spirit? Certainly not. But He says, in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit. The expression is the same for the Spirit as for the Father and for Himself. From which is inferred not any office of the
Holy Spirit, but rather a sharing of
honour or of working when we say in the
Spirit.
https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/34022.htm
3. Let us then ask Christ Himself, and learn from His own mouth, what is the chief means of our
salvation. Who shall enter, O Christ, into Your kingdom? He that does the
will of my Father in heaven,
Matthew 7:21 is His reply; not, "He that confesses that I was born." And again, He says to His
disciples, "Go, teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the
Son, and of the
Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things which I have commanded you."
Matthew 28:19-20 It is not, "teaching them that I was born," but, "to observe my commandments." Again, "You are my friends if you do what I command you;"
John 15:14 not, "if you
believe that I was born." Again, "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my
love,"
John 15:10 and in many other places. Also in the sermon on the mount, when He taught, "Blessed are the
poor, blessed are the meek, blessed are the peacemakers, blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are they that mourn, blessed are they that hunger, blessed are they that are
persecuted for righteousness' sake,"
Matthew 5:3-10 He nowhere says, "Blessed are they that confess that I was born." And in the separation of the sheep from the goats in the judgment, He says that He will say to them on the right hand, "I was hungry, and you gave me meat; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink,"
Matthew 25:35 and so on; therefore "inherit the kingdom." Not, "Because ye
believe that I was born, inherit the kingdom." Again, to the rich man seeking for
eternal life, He says, "Go, sell all that you have, and follow me;"
Matthew 19:21 not, "Believe that I was born, that you may have
eternal life." You see, the kingdom, life,
happiness, are everywhere promised to the part I have chosen of what you call the two parts of
faith, and nowhere to your part. Show, if you can, a place where it is written that whoever confesses that Christ was born of a
woman is blessed, or shall inherit the kingdom, or have
eternal life. Even supposing, then, that there are two parts of
faith, your part has no blessing. But what if we prove that your part is not a part of
faith at all? It will follow that you are foolish, which indeed will be
proved beyond a
doubt. At present, it is enough to have shown that our part is crowned with the beatitudes. Besides, we have also a beatitude for a confession in words: for we confess that
Jesus Christ is the Son of the living
God; and Jesus declares with His own lips that this confession has a benediction, when He says to Peter, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona; for flesh and blood has not revealed this unto you, but my Father which is in heaven."
Matthew 16:7 So that we have not one, but both these parts of
faith, and in both alike are we pronounced blessed by Christ; for in one we reduce
faith to practice, while in the other our confession is unmixed with
blasphemy.
https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/140605.htm